GRPC 2015: Using Media To Advance Gun Rights

I was honored to be asked to be on a panel at the 2015 Gun Rights Policy Conference. The topic of our panel was "Using Media to Advance Gun Rights." Also on the panel were Charles Heller of Liberty Watch Radio, Don Irvine of Accuracy in Media, Herb Stupp of New York who had been part of Mayor Rudy Giuliani's cabinet, Cheryl Todd of GunTalk AZ, and Dave Workman.

Below is the text of my speech. I would welcome comments and criticism.

Hi. I'm John Richardson.

This morning I plan to tell you how I as a citizen journalist use the Internet to advance gun rights and how you can use it too. As the representative of New Media on this stage this morning, first let me tell you how I got started.

I had been a longtime reader of blogs. I finally decided in May 2010 that I could do just as well as anyone else and started my blog, "No Lawyers - Only Guns and Money." The name was a play on the Warren Zevon song, "Send Lawyers, Guns, and Money". I'm a - not a lawyer - hence the name.

I didn't have many readers at first but I just kept plugging along. Then something happened that gave my blog a big boost: Alan Gura won the McDonald case and then using this ruling, the SAF and Grass Roots North Carolina sued North Carolina to overturn the ban on firearms during declared states of emergency.

I saw it as my mission to report on the details of this and the other McDonald follow-on cases. I worked hard to provide background information so that readers would have a really good understanding of the issues. I felt that if people who supported gun rights had better knowledge than that provided by the mainstream media then they could argue our side more persuasively.

Fast forward to today, 4200+ blog posts, 1.7 million visitors later, and there have been many more cases and a good number of wins. Somewhere along the way I added the role of podcaster to my efforts on behalf of the Second Amendment. I am now a co-host on The Polite Society Podcast which is livestreaming this conference.

My blog as well as the podcast does four things: it educates, it informs, it advocates, and it entertains. The first three help advance the cause of gun rights while the fourth is just because we all need to laugh a bit especially if it is at the expense of the gun prohibitionists!

Let me give you some examples.

Our podcast The Polite Society Podcast has a regular feature called Defensive Gun Uses. We compile instances of how a lawful gun owner has used a firearm to defend him or herself and their family. The examples we have often involve robbery or a home invasion. We look at what the person did right and what they did wrong. We don't sugarcoat it as this is essential education on the rights and responsibilities of gun owners.

The best example of the blogosphere informing people that helped advance the cause of gun rights was the work that David Codrea, Mike Vanderboegh, and Dave Workman did in exposing Operation Fast and Furious which started right here in Phoenix. It was bloggers that connected whistleblowers with Congressional investigators. It was bloggers that introduced the whistleblowers to Sharyl Attkisson so that she could air their stories on television. Many other bloggers including myself took the ball put into play by David, Mike, and Dave and ran with it. If the scandal - and it wasn't some botched sting operation - gained legs, it was due to the efforts of New Media - not Old Media.

We in the New Media are open about our efforts to advocate on behalf of gun rights and the Second Amendment. Back in 2011, ATF was soliciting public comments on whether to implement a reporting requirement that would force border state FFLs to inform them when someone bought more than one semi-auto rifle within a five day period. The gun control lobby had a letter generator, we didn't. With the assistance of one of my readers, we set up a letter generator with a pre-written letter. Our letter generator sent 3,203 letters to OMB opposing this power grab. ATF still implemented it but by God they couldn't say there was no opposition!

I don't think I need to give examples of how blogs entertain. There are just too many.

An old journalist once said, "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those that own one." Well, as a blogger and podcaster I do own one. And thanks to the Internet so does everyone in this room.

When you post pictures of yourself taking a new shooter to the range on Facebook, you are advancing the cause. When you post a picture of a new gun you bought to Instagram, you are normalizing guns. When you tweet a link to an article that is pro-gun, you are spreading the message. Let's not forget Tumblr, Pinterest, and YouTube. Posting pictures or videos of successful hunts, reloading benches, etc. help advance the gun culture.

If there is one message I want to leave you with this morning it is this: We are in a cultural war against strong, well-funded, top-down opponents. They have the mainstream media on their side. We have the grassroots. New Media gives us the tools to conduct our cultural guerrilla war, build our grassroots support, and spread our message of self-reliance, freedom, and gun rights.

Thank you for your time today.

The Polite Society Podcast livestreamed both days of the conference. I was able to excerpt my presentation. While the crowd on Sunday was not as large as that on Saturday, it was certainly more people than I had ever spoken to before. Click on the "Watch highlights" to see my portion of the presentation.

From Knife Rights On Proposed Ivory Ban

I am a firm believer in conservation. Notice I said conservation and not preservation. Preservation is for artworks; conservation is for land and animals. Locking up a forest makes it susceptible to disease and fire. Likewise, legitimate hunting of elephants and other ivory bearing animals gives them an economic value. With an economic value comes protection and anti-poaching initiatives. I may never hunt an elephant but I recognize that both the numbers and herd health will be helped by hunting.

Banning the trade in ivory legitimately brought into the United States in the 20th century will do nothing to stop current poachers. If anything, it will increase the economic reward to poachers. It is akin to the so-called war on drugs. Efforts to dry up supply just increase the street price of cocaine, meth, etc. and increase the incentive to the cartels to try and smuggle it into the country.

The comments on the Fish and Wildlife Service proposal close on Monday. I sent my comment in today. Here is what Knife Rights has to say about it:

Comments are due on Monday, September 28, 2015, to oppose the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) Proposed Rule Change that would implement a domestic ivory ban affecting millions of Americans, including owners of ivory-handled knives and knives with ivory embellishment. With very few very limited exceptions, it would be illegal to buy, sell or trade any ivory or any item with even the smallest bit of ivory included. Not a single elephant will be saved by punishing owners of decades-old perfectly legal ivory that has been in this country since before import bans were implemented in 1990. Practically all the poached ivory goes to China or Asian countries, virtually none of it come to the U.S. (Click here for additional details on the Proposed Rule Change and a link to the published NPRM)

Knife Rights abhors the poaching of all species. The proven solution is to attack poaching at the source, not punish lawful ivory owners in the U.S. who cannot have any effect on poaching in Africa. Successful anti-poaching programs in Africa have demonstrated that an integrated comprehensive approach that encourages the locals to fight poaching does work to save elephants.

Stealing the investments of millions of Americans will not save a single elephant in Africa. This is the worst kind of "Feel Good - Do Bad" government action.

As of Wednesday, Sept. 23, over 1,500 comments have been submitted. Too many are from people who make simplistic and emotional statements about saving elephants or repeat factually unsupported slogans from non-profit organizations making millions of dollars off this campaign to ban ivory.  However, many others are thoughtful comments explaining why the proposed rule punishes innocent Americans without doing anything to stop poaching in Africa. We need you to add your voice of reason to those opposing this absurd, abusive and illegal ivory ban.

Ideally, your comment should be personal and specific, but comment regardless.  Form letter comments are not as effective as individual comments, but regardless, please comment because every comment in opposition counts! Use the information below to develop your comment.

* The Proposed Rule Change is arbitrary and capricious.  It punishes people who have invested in ivory, including ivory-handled knives and knives with ivory embellishment, that was legally imported decades ago which has nothing to do with recent African elephant poaching. The government should focus resources on stopping poachers in Africa and prosecuting criminals who smuggle ivory to Asia if it wants to stop elephant poaching.  Punishing innocent Americans who own or trade ivory that was legally brought to this country before the poaching crisis has no rational relationship to poaching African elephants, so the Proposed Rule Change seriously violates the federal Administrative Procedure Act.

* FWS misrepresented data and studies about ivory in the United States.  CITES data shows that hundreds of tons of illegal ivory flows to China and Asia, but almost none of it comes to the United States.  Even Dr. Daniel Stiles, an expert FWS relied upon in the Proposed Rule Change, submitted a comment pointing out how FWS has misrepresented his research. http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FWS-HQ-IA-2013-0091-0415 The legal ivory import control system in place before February 2014 was working in the United States, and government prosecutions show that they were certainly capable of investigating and successfully prosecuting the very few people who break the law.  Creating a new class of criminals from people who need to sell or trade in otherwise legal ivory will waste resources, distract from enforcement efforts against actual poachers and smugglers, and unfairly persecute people who abided by international trade bans that were already in place. Along with creating bad policy, FWS's misuse and misrepresentation of data is an egregious violation of the federal Information Quality Act. (Click here for more background on this blatant violation of the law)

* FWS's claim that less than 2% of ivory sales will be impacted by this ban is nonsense.  (Here you should describe how the ban would impact your business or collection individually, where applicable.)  Conclude by stating that this ban falls almost entirely on small businesses, so the FWS certification in the proposed rule that it would not have a significant economic effect on a substantial number of small entities as defined under the Regulatory Flexibility Act is false.  As is their finding under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act that there is not a disproportionate impact for small or large businesses.

* The exceptions in the Proposed Rule are useless and do not adequately allow legal and legitimate commerce as directed in Executive Order 13648 on Combating Wildlife Trafficking in July 2013.  To qualify for any exception, a person would need to provide documentation about import, sales and transfers that was not required in the past, so it was never created.  FWS undermines all of the exceptions, which are irrational, vague and arbitrary in any case, by placing an unachievable burden on legal ivory owners.  The agency also fails to describe specific documentation burdens with specificity, so even if an owner or business has some documentation about an ivory item, he or she cannot be certain whether documentation is adequate. These failures are serious violations of the federal Administrative Procedure Act.

* Add any additional personal objections to this irrational and abusive rule that is unfair, un-American and will not save a single elephant in Africa. Please be polite in your comments so they will be taken seriously. 

Conclude by demanding that FWS must either withdraw the proposed rule entirely for its failure to follow the law or, alternatively, at a minimum publish an extensive revision correcting its many errors for a full new notice and comment period. Nothing less is acceptable.

The above are suggestions that you can adopt or add to as you see fit.

FWS does not accept comments by e-mail or fax.  You need to submit comments online by 11:59 PM, September 28 at:  Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Proposed Rule: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Rule; Revision or http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FWS-HQ-IA-2013-0091-0001

You can also view comments already submitted at this website. (Alternatively, if that link doesn't work, then go to http://www.regulations.gov. Once at the website, search: FWS-HQ-IA-2013-0091) 

Click on the "Comment Now" button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Follow the instructions on screen for submitting comments. When submitting comments, you can either identify yourself or type "Anonymous" in the required name fields.  You can type your comments directly into the provided text box, copy and paste into the text box or upload a file (below the text box).

If you must submit comments by mail, they must be postmarked by 11:59 PM, September 28. Mail them to:

Public Comments Processing
Attn: FWS-HQ-IA-2013-0091
Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: BPHC
Falls Church, VA  22041 

 

Iraqveteran888, Social Media, And The Gun Industry

I came across this video last night. It is on the gun friendly YouTube competitor Full30. In it, Eric - IraqVeteran8888 of YouTube fame - discusses the impact of social media on the gun industry with Jon Patton. Given that I will be giving a presentation at the Gun Rights Policy Conference on the role of media in advancing gun rights, I found this very timely.

A Win For Knife Rights In The Second Circuit

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals provided a win for knife rights and the Second Amendment yesterday. The case involved the suit that Knife Rights had filed in New York against DA Cyrus Vance, Jr. The judge in the District Court had dismissed that case in favor of the defendants saying that the plaintiffs did not have standing because they hadn't identified specific knives. The Second Circuit disagreed in part and remanded the case back to the District Court for the Southern District of New York.

In a decision authored by US Appeals Court Judge Reena Raggi, the Second Circuit said the individual plaintiffs clearly showed that they had shown a threat of prosecution for intended conduct. Indeed, Native Leather, the business plaintiff, was under a deferred prosecution agreement with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Because of this, they had standing. However, she found that Knife Rights and the Knife Rights Foundation did not have standing to sue.

The Court concluded:

To summarize, we conclude as follows:

1. Plaintiffs Native Leather, Copeland, and Perez have standing to challenge defendants’ application of N.Y. Penal Law §§ 265.00(5) and 265.01(1) because each has expressed a present intent to possess such knives (but for defendants’ challenged enforcement actions) and each has demonstrated a credible threat of prosecution based on defendants’ (a) recent enforcement actions against them, (b) express threat to prosecute Native Leather further under the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement, and (c) continued defense of the wrist‐flick test that allegedly prompted plaintiffs’ past violation charges.

2. Our precedent precludes Knife Rights and Knife Rights Foundation from asserting standing on behalf of their members under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.  Nor can these organizational plaintiffs demonstrate standing to sue on their own behalf based on claimed injury to their activities from expenditures diverted to oppose defendants’ actions.    Such past injuries cannot be redressed by the declaratory and injunctive relief sought in this action, and plaintiffs fail to demonstrate that any future expenditures and attending injuries are certainly impending.

3. The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend their complaint a second time to address defects in standing.

Accordingly, the district court’s judgment of dismissal is AFFIRMED as to Knife Rights and Knife Rights Foundation, and VACATED as to Native Leather, Copeland, and Perez.   The case is REMANDED as to these three plaintiffs for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.  

 Knife Rights was quite pleased with this ruling even if they were found not to have organizational standing in the case.

The reversed lower court previously found that the claims were not specific enough to proceed because they did not identify specific makes and models of folding knives at issue -- even though the very inability to determine which knives would be arbitrarily deemed "illegal" is the basis of the lawsuit itself! The Second Circuit agreed that specific knives need not be identified for the case to proceed.

Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, "we are very pleased that we have overcome the absurd ruling of the lower court on 'standing' and can now proceed with the heart of the case itself -- the unconstitutional manner in which the City and DA enforce the New York State's gravity knife law to potentially demonize all folding knives."

There have been over 60,000 "gravity knife" prosecutions in the City in the past 10 years, with the rate doubling recently. These prosecutions have focused almost exclusively on common locking-blade pocket knives, not actual historical paratrooper gravity knives which were the basis for the statute back in the 1950s. The so-called "wrist flick" test employed by the City and DA is a completely subjective test with immense variability and no knife owner can know can know with certainty whether or not his or her knife is legal at any point in time. This enforcement is unconstitutionally vague and must not continue.

Perhaps the lower court will finally see just how abusive the NYPD and DA Vance have been towards knife owners.

Walking Dead Fashion Line?

I am most certainly not a fashionista. However, I do from time to time watch Project Runway with the Complementary Spouse. So I do have some exposure to the world of fashion. Thus, when I saw the picture below of Kanye West's line of clothing my eyes rolled. What would Tim say and how soon would Heidi be saying "Auf Wiedersehen!".

From NY Mag

I probably saw that picture of his clothing line in the Wall Street Journal. My immediate thought was that it was zombies from the Walking Dead. Given that Kanye is a big gun control supporter, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Gun control does tend to attract zombie-like supporters.

An Interesting Bullpup From South Africa

The Vektor CR-21 was a bullpup carbine made in South Africa. It was based upon their R4 rifle which was a derivative of the Israeli Galil. The internals of the CR-21 were similar and it used the same magazines as the video shows.

The CR-21 never made it out of the prototype stage but it would have been interesting to see how with a little more development it would have stacked up against the Tavor and other bullpups. It really is futuristic looking

Say What?!

Jean Fontaine is the "data lead for South Carolina Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America." She lives in Greenville, South Carolina. I'm not sure what a data lead is but I imagine it to be somewhere between a mailing list manager and someone who clips articles from a newspaper.

Ms. Fontaine had an op-ed in the Greenville News regarding a training session she attended in Minneapolis, Minnesota this summer. She started the column by saying:

This summer, I took training in Minneapolis for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a nonpartisan organization that supports the Second Amendment. It was created after Sandy Hook to advocate common-sense gun reforms that are straightforward...

Either the training Ms. Fontaine took in Minnesota was on how to be a commedienne or she just told a whopper. The Demanding Moms for Illegal Mayors are neither non-partisan nor pro-Second Amendment.

Fortunately, those who bothered to read this screed long enough to comment thought she was full of it as well. There was not one comment supportive of her position.

A quick Google search reveals that Ms. Fontaine is a former educator who objected to constitutional carry in South Carolina when it was proposed in 2013. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru in the late 1960s. I'm sure Ms. Fontaine, bless her heart, is a nice person and means well but her advocacy is misguided and dangerous.

Quote Of The Day

There was a column a couple of weeks ago in the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer. The columnist, Ned Barrett, blamed legal gun owners who had their guns stolen for fueling "criminal gunfire". The column said that legal gun owners who had their guns stolen were "the headwaters in the river of guns that flows to criminals."

Grass Roots North Carolina President Paul Valone did not let this lie go unchallenged. As Tom Gresham always says, "A lie left unchallenged becomes the truth."

Paul said:

Blaming gun owners for theft of guns lawfully locked into cars is like blaming rape victims for wearing their skirts too short; it faults victims, not perpetrators.

 Paul is absolutely correct. The victim should not be blamed. If anything, the blame lies with the so-called gun free zones that force people to lock their legally owned and carried firearms in their cars.

2015 Gun Rights Policy Conference

The 2015 Gun Rights Policy Conference opens next weekend, September 25-27, in Phoenx. The free event is sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and has been for the past 30 years. You can still register to attend and I believe that they do allow in person registrations on Friday night and Saturday morning. The event is being held at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel.

My colleagues and I on the Polite Society Podcast will be livestreaming the event. We will also feature interviews with some of the presenters during conference breaks. You can watch the livestream either on our webpage or on our YouTube channel.

C-Span will be broadcasting the Sunday portion of the conference. I'm not sure which C-Span channel it will be on but I'm sure you can find it if you check their website later in the coming week.

The final agenda has been published and I have uploaded it to Google. A number of state level organizations will be participating including Grass Roots North Carolina, Georgia Carry, the Virginia Citizens Defense League, the Illinois State Rifle Association, Florida Carry, and many more. Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed will be speaking on Saturday about the impact of 3-D printing on the future of gun control. This is just a taste of what is being presented at GRPC.

If you check the agenda for Sunday morning, there is a panel on Using Media to Advance Gun Rights. It will feature people like Dave Workman of Gun Week, Charles Heller of Liberty Watch Radio, and someone else whose work you may have read a time or two.

If you can't be there in person, I would encourage you to partake of our livestreaming of the event. It was a grassroots effort to put it together. I would thank the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, Ammoland.com, and those who contributed to our GoFundMe campaign for their monetary support in making this a reality.

Absurd Ruling In Terry Murder Trial

US District Court Judge David Bury ruled on Friday that no mention of Operation Fast and Furious aka Project Gunwalker could be made in the trial of two men accused of the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

The U.S. asked the judge this summer to keep the details of Fast and Furious out of the murder trial, stating it was irrelevant.

Bury agreed. "I agree with one exception. I can't find any relevance expect if the government should open the door," he said.

If the government brings up the origins of the guns found, Bury ruled that defendants can then bring up Fast and Furious.

Bury ordered the defendants "not to refer to ... or elicit any testimony regarding Operation Fast and Furious. Understood?"

Excuse me?

The defendants, Ivan Soto Barraza and Jesus Leonel Sanchez Meza, used AK-47s to kill Agent Terry that the BATFE had allowed (encouraged) to be walked to Mexico as part of Operation Fast and Furious. Given that the Department of Justice and BATFE were complicit in providing the firearms used to kill Agent Terry, ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata, and 300 or more Mexicans, I'm not surprised that the US Attorney's Office doesn't want it mentioned. However, I am surprised that a judge would deny the defense of the opportunity to use it in defending their clients.

It is obvious that burying the details of Operation Fast and Furious is important to the prosecutors. In addition to the judge's order above, they have a whole series of questions for potential jurors asking about their knowledge of Project Gunwalker.  One does have to wonder if this was a local decision to suppress mention of Operation Fast and Furious or did the order come down from DC.

Friday Follies

FireClean is supposed to be a revolutionary gun lube that actually helps keep your gun clean, so saith the likes of Larry A. Vickers. However, if you've paid any attention to firearm forums and/or gun blogs over the last week or so, you've found out that this miracle product which Amazon has for $29.95 for a two pack of 2 oz. bottles isn't quite so exotic as it would seem. Actually, it is just vegetable oil, specifically canola oil. 

I'm not here to hash out this controversy but if I had some corned beef hash, I'd want eggs with it. Eggs cooked in oil. 

Well maybe not FireClean gun oil but that is exactly what Karl and Ian have done. They fried up some eggs in FireClean and ate them. We all should thank them for taking one for the team in the name of science.

Call Roger Goodman At 1-800-BAD-GUNZ

Comedian Steven Crowder calls out gun controllers in this parody called "Rogue Guns". I think one of the reasons that parody is such an effective political tool is that it is so close to the truth.

In this case, how many times have we heard the gun blamed rather than the person using it? The answer is much too often. A gun or a knife or even a Martha Stewart marble rolling pin are all tools until they are misused.

That's Senator Insurrectionist Thug To You!

I find some things the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic) post on their Facebook page amusing given how absurd they are or maybe it's just this codeine cough syrup I'm taking for the crud. Either way, they unloaded on Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) with both barrels.

Ooops. I shouldn't have put it that way. That would have been a little too microaggressive. Or is it macro?

Senator Rand Paul tells The Daily Caller that Republican Presidential front runner Donald J. Trump "deserves both barrels" before having himself photographed today firing an AR-15 at a shooting range. This man isn't a politician. He's an insurrectionist thug who will never attract anything other than fringe support.

They illustrated their little macroaggression with this microaggressive picture.

If you ask me, Sen. Paul looks like he's about to indulge in a bit of 3-gunning. His AR-15 has a full rail, a 1-4x scope, 18" barrel, and a  Miculek compensator.

I find it amusing that they characterize Sen. Rand Paul, MD Duke, as an "insurrectionist thug". CSGV feels free to indulge in character assassination and name calling at will. However, if someone who supported gun rights referred to CSGV leaders and supporters by an appropriate epithet, they would be screaming "microaggression!", try to get the person's kids taken by DSS, and possibly even "swatting" them.

There is a name for people like that:  hypocrites.

A Passing Is Noted

Frank W. James, retired farmer, blogger, and gun writer extraordinare, passed away on Tuesday evening. He was 69.

I only got the chance to meet Frank once. It was at an impromptu meeting of gun bloggers before the 2012 NRA Annual Meeting in St. Louis arranged by Jay G. I thought here was this legend sitting down to have a drink with us mere mortals. I honestly don't remember what, if anything, we said to one another.

I'll let those who know him much better take it from here.

Michael Bane has a remembrance here. Frank served as one of his experts on Gun Stories.

Tam, who knew him much better than me, has this to say.

Unfortunately, his earlier blog, Corn, Beans, Spent Brass, An Empty Page - And  A Deadline, is gone and the Wayback Machine archive doesn't have it. I guess memories will just have to do.


UPDATE: Tom Gresham has posted an interview he did with Frank from 2010 as a remembrance of Frank.

Something For A Monday Morning

This post has nothing to do with guns or money or lawyers. It just has to do with one of the best advertisements that I've ever seen in a long time. I thought it was the perfect something for a Monday morning. It brought a smile to my face and I've been up half the night hacking up a lung with some viral crud. If it can do that, it must be a pretty powerful ad.

Shannon Watts Lies About New NRA Video

I know you are shocked to hear that Shannon Watts lied on Twitter about a new NRA video that features Dana Loesch. Now it is no secret that no love is lost between these two. Dana has called out Shannon many a time for her lies and her use of no-neck armed guards hired by Michael Bloomberg.

Here are the tweets in question:

#NRA video implies all U.S. moms are 1) eager to shoot "thugs" in face 2) Christian 3) Leather Tuscadero https://t.co/d8eihIP8FS #gunsense

— Shannon (@shannonrwatts) September 12, 2015

Parody? #NRA's new video about their version of American ninja moms https://t.co/d8eihIP8FS @MomsDemand #gunsense pic.twitter.com/dSmd01lnY2

— Shannon (@shannonrwatts) September 12, 2015

If you watch the video below, you never hear a thing about Christianity nor do you hear any encouragement of shooting a thug in the face. What Dana said is that the media buries stories of defensive gun uses by mothers. As to the "Leather Tuscadero" Happy Days reference, that is just Shannon Watts' cattiness about Dana's leather jacket and the effectiveness of this video.





The best response on Twitter was by someone named Tom Sawyer who just nailed it!

@shannonrwatts 1) She never mentions shooting anyone 2) She never mentions religion 3) You're an idiot #WhateverItTakes @DLoesch #gunsense

— Tom Sawyer (@TomSmokin) September 12, 2015

Are We Supposed To Be Surprised?

Shannon Watts of Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors loves her corrupt politicians. At least the ones that are for more and more gun control while they have their own armed security details. She tweeted the pictures below of Hillary Clinton signing a "whatever it takes" poster yesterday.

.@HillaryClinton signed on today to Moms' pledge to do #WhateverItTakes to stop gun violence @MomsDemand #gunsense pic.twitter.com/Ffekuq8ky5

— Shannon (@shannonrwatts) September 10, 2015

Hillary probably thought she was signing a poster with her campaign motto.

Poor Choice Of Names

If you are a dog owner, you know and fear parvo aka canine parvovirus. It attacks rapidly dividing cells in a dog's body especially in the intestinal tract. This causes severe, often bloody, diarrhea in the dog and can be fatal. The virus also attacks white blood cells and can damage the heart. This is why it is so important to vaccinate all dogs and puppies against parvo.

With this little intro to canine health issues you can understand why my head shook when I read this release from Head Down Products. They make fairly decent rifles from what I understand. I've never shot one of their firearms before but that is the impression I had.

From their press release:

Dallas, GA – Head Down Products is proud to announce the Uncle Parvo line, a line of AR-15 rifles specifically designed for predator hunting applications and the specific needs of hunters.

While the value of the AR-15 platform is well known in the hunting world, quite often the AR-15 market leans toward the tactical/defense application and not the outdoorsman. Head Down Products is proud to change that.

The Uncle Parvo line of rifles are lightweight, tough and includes a modular rail featuring KeyMod™. This rifle features a 14.5" barrel equipped with a mid-length gas system. The Uncle Parvo ships suppressor ready, with a Gemtech G5 QD/muzzle brake pinned for ATF compliance.

While it looks like a fine rifle, I wonder how many hunters, especially those that own dogs, are going to look at that name and say, "WTF?" I know I would.

Second Highest Number Of NICS Checks On Record

The National Shooting Sports Foundation released their adjusted NICS checks for August 2015 yesterday. After hitting an all time high for a July in the previous month, the NSSF adjusted NICS checks were only the second highest on record for the the month.

The August 2015 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,031,959 is the second-highest August on record for the 17-year-old system, with an increase of 4.3 percent compared to the August 2014 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 989,337. For comparison, the unadjusted August 2015 NICS figure of 1,735,911 reflects a 12.8 percent increase from the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,538,347 in August 2014.

The previous high had been set in August 2012.

 Looking back to 2012 to see what might have made it the highest month, I find stories regarding an AWB for Illinois, the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case, and the UN's Arms Trade Treaty. Project Gunwalker aka Operation Fast and Furious had finally started to make the news as well.

While August is traditionally one of the slower months, we are also starting to see a trend of year over prior year increases starting up again.

As always, it should be noted that NICS checks do not have a perfect correlation with sales. Many states use them for checking on concealed carry holders. Moreover, in many states such as North Carolina, a CCW takes the place of having to run a NICS check. However, as a general indicator of the direction of sales, the adjusted NICS checks are quite adequate.

The Ithaca Auto & Burglar Shotgun

I had heard Michael Bane make reference to the Ithaca Auto & Burglar shotgun pistol but had never seen one. Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons shows two examples of these any other weapons that are up for auction at Rock Island Auctions.

While these would have been a beast to handle in 12 gauge, in the lesser gauges like 20 or 28, I think they'd still provide more than adequate protection against highwaymen and carjackers.

Florida Carry Sues Florida State University Over Firearm Polices

The Florida State Seminoles start each home game with their mascot Osceola racing across to midfield on his horse Renegade and sticking a flaming spear in the ground. In a figurative sense, that is just what gun rights organization Florida Carry did today when it filed suit against FSU, FSU President John Thrasher, and FSU police chief David Perry.

Before John Thrasher became President of Florida State University, he was a successful lawyer, politician, and lobbyist. He served in both the Florida House and Senate and was the chairman of the Florida GOP in 2010. When he was a state senator, Thrasher as noted below in the Florida Carry release told them that they should look to the courts rather than the legislature to correct unconstitutional infringements on the right to keep and bear arms in the Sunshine State. They are making him eat his words.

The lawsuit was filed in Leon County Circuit Court. They are seeking an injunction and declaratory relief stating that the defendants are violating Florida statutes. The complaint can be found here.

Tallahassee, Florida - In 2014 then Senator Thrasher admonished Florida Carry during a legislative committee hearing for supporting a pro-Second Amendment bill that corrected an unconstitutional infringement on the right to bear arms rather than going to the courts and bringing a lawsuit.

Today Florida Carry is taking his advice.

Florida Carry, Inc. joins FSU Graduate Student Bekah Hargrove of Florida Students for Concealed Carry in filing Florida Carry v. Thrasher today seeking an emergency injunction against John Thrasher, now President of Florida State University, the university, and FSU Police Chief David Perry.

In 2013 the Florida First District Court of Appeals made it crystal clear, in the case of Florida Carry v. UNF, that Universities have no authority to regulate the lawful possession of firearms that are properly stored in private vehicles on campus. Despite the fact that FSU, Chief Perry, and President Thrasher are well aware of the law and the binding decision of the court, they have chosen to continue illegally prohibiting the possession of firearms in people's private vehicles. They even go so far as to use their own police force to publicly threaten criminal enforcement of their unlawful regulations.

A recent release published by the FSU Police Department instructs that:
"Weapons and/or firearms are not permitted to be stored in a vehicle on the FSU campus at any time, including game days."(Emphasis in original)

The "FSU Game Day Plan 2015 - New Info" publication goes on to flout the laws of Florida by stating that:

"Weapons are prohibited on the Florida State University Campus at all times including football games. Fan may not store firearms or other weapons in their vehicles parked on campus while attending the game. Possession of a firearm or weapon on the FSU campus constitutes a felony and violators are subject to arrest pursuant to Florida Statute 790.115."

https://police.fsu.edu/sites/default/files/media/doc/FSUGameDayPlan2015NewInfo.pdf

The FSU Student Code of Conduct also attempts to enforce these illegal policies by prohibiting all "On-campus possession or use of firearms..." without an exception for firearm possession in a private vehicle and even "Off-campus... or unauthorized possession or use of firearms..."
https://dos.fsu.edu/srr/_localDocuments/student-conduct-code.pdf

"It has a chilling effect on the right to bear arms when law abiding gun owners are lied to by public officials, especially ones who control their own Police Forces, and are told that they will be breaking a law by the legal possession of their firearms."

Said Sean Caranna, Executive Director of Florida Carry, Inc.

"These publications are a blatant attempt by FSU President Thrasher, and his anti-Second Amendment employees, to enforce illegal gun control with the threat of throwing good people in jail for the lawful exercise of their right to bear arms. We demand that public officials follow the law and will stand for nothing less." 

This Is What Conservatives Should Do To Reach Millennials

Millennials have been a hard group to reach for conservative and (some) libertarian organizations. It is why the NRA started their younger commentator series featuring Colion Noir, Natalie Foster, Dom Raso, etc.

I just came across a series from the Independent Institute called "Love Gov". It features Alexis, a fun loving, independent young woman, and Scott "Gov" Govinski, her creepy, intrusive boyfriend. It is an allegory using the boyfriend as a stand-in for our current government. In Episode 5 below, Alexis has broken up with Gov and now he is intruding upon her privacy.





Kudos to whomever at the Independent Institute came up with this. I found it a very effective way to reach 20-somethings. Now if we could just get them to look up from their smart phones and see what else is happening in the world.

We Aren't The Suppliers; Thieves Are The Suppliers

Willie Dixie, Jr. is the Special Agent in Charge of the BATFE's Charlotte Field Division. He was interviewed earlier this week by WCNC - NBC Charlotte regarding gun thefts in North and South Carolina.

"We are the supplier of those firearms that end up in the northern cities," Wayne Dixie, Jr. said.

Last year there were 256 guns stolen in South Carolina that ended up in just New York. Another 279 from North Carolina ended up there. And those numbers have been pretty steady over the last five years.

It's not just stolen guns from here that make their way up North, others are bought here legally and make the same trek.

"North and South Carolina are source states…a lot of times people from the North will come down here and purchase firearms here because of lax gun laws."

Sorry SAC Dixie, "we" aren't the suppliers. Thieves and criminal organizations are the suppliers. When examining the BATFE's own gun trace data for New York for 2014, North and South Carolina are not even the top source states. That honor goes to New York itself with five times as many traced guns as either North or South Carolina.

Also, what the hell do you mean by "lax gun laws"? Do you mean that because North Carolina has a greater appreciation for the Constitution (to which you took an oath) that we are "lax"?

Straw purchases are illegal whether done in downtown Charlotte or downtown Manhattan. Moreover, even private sales of handguns in North Carolina require either a pistol purchase permit or a concealed handgun permit to be legal. That pistol purchase permit system, by the way, was instituted by Democrats to keep African-Americans like yourself disarmed.

Your office conveniently proclaims when they have been involved in a conviction of any sort. Despite your so-called surge of FFL inspections started in 2014, I see only one reported set of convictions for either firearms theft or trafficking in the last two years. Indeed, more people were convicted of smuggling cigarettes than firearms if your releases are any indication.

No dealer ever wants to see firearms from his or her store used in a crime. Furthermore, none of them want to see firearms stolen from their store. Gun stores go to great lengths to protect their inventory and, unless I am mistaken, this is part of your inspection process.

You can see SAC Dixie's statements below in his interview with Michelee Boudin of WCNC.

They Wouldn't Stand For That - So Why Should Gun Owners In SF

Imagine, if you will, a proposed ordinance from a San Francisco supervisor stating the proprietors of medical marijuana dispensaries must have a multi-zone video system in place and then forward the video along with records of every purchaser to the San Francisco Police Department. Mind you, even though marijuana for medical purposes can be prescribed under California law, it is still a Federal crime.

Being that it is San Francisco, let's imagine another scenario. Say it was 1981 and the AIDS epidemic was starting. Public health officials knew it was hitting gay men disproportionately and suspected it was related to having multiple sexual partners. So as a public health measure, a San Francisco supervisor proposed that a video system be put in place at the city's bath houses which were known meeting places for sex used by gay men. All the video along with a record of everyone who entered these bath houses was to be sent the SF Department of Public Health.

Can you imagine the outrage that either of these scenarios would cause? Any supervisor who even made such a proposal like either of these would be run out of town and encouraged to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge will he was at it.

SF Supervisor Mark Farrell has made such a proposal. However, it isn't aimed at marijuana users or gay men but rather legal purchasers of arms and ammunition. A purchase which is not only made in full compliance with Federal and state law but is part of an enumerated right under the Constitution.

The first portion of Supervisor Farrell’s gun control package would simply require the videotaping of all gun and ammunition sales within San Francisco. The videotaping would also apply to other critical areas of the business premises, including, but not limited to, all places where firearms or ammunition are stored, handled, sold, transferred, or carried, including, but not limited to, all counters, safes, vaults, cabinets, cases, entryways, and parking lots.

The second portion of Supervisor Farrell’s gun control package would require any permittee who has the proper documentation to sell or transfer ammunition to keep records of their ammunition sales and transfer data for up to five-years, and electronically transmit the ammunition sales data at least weekly to the SFPD. The SFPD would develop the forms and information that would need to be regularly transmitted to the department, and at a minimum will include:
(1) The date of the transaction;
(2) The name, address and date of birth of the transferee;
(3) The number of the transferee’s current driver’s license or other government issued identification card containing a photograph of the transferee, and the name of the governmental authority that issued it;
(4) The brand, type, caliber or gauge, and amount of ammunition transferred;
(5) The transferee’s signature; and
(6) The name of the permittee’s agent or employee who processed the transaction.

Farrell, a lawyer and venture capitalist, represents some of the most expensive neighborhoods in San Francisco. Places where guns are considered icky except when in the hands of private security guards. He first made the proposal in July and plans to introduce them when the Board of Supervisors comes back from recess this month.

The impact of Farrell's ordinance would be to force High Bridge Arms, the only gun store in San Francisco, to close or move out of San Francisco. Owner Steve Alcairo said they have 17 surveillance cameras in the store and shares the video with police when requested by court orders. However, this ordinance goes much further and Alcairo said he'd probably close if it passes.

“What we don’t do is voluntarily give private information to the police department. Voluntarily, we just don’t do that. People are very private about their information,” Alcairo told KPIX 5.

He believes if the new law passes it will have a chilling effect on his business...

“The element we’re concerned with, they don’t shop here. They don’t,” Alcairo said. “I mean you’re going to get video surveillance of people who are coming in here legally buying stuff with their identification, criminals are not doing that.”

Mr. Alcairo is correct. Criminals in San Francisco don't shop at High Bridge Arms. They get their guns from former Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) and his tong friend Shrimp Boy among other illegal places.

This measure has nothing to do with crime, preventing criminals from getting guns, or public safety. It is a feel good measure by Supv. Farrell to look good among his constituents as they go home to their Victorian and Edwardian mansions in his Jordan Park-Laurel Heights neighborhood and shop in its high priced boutiques.

Win You Some Guns

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. I've been tied up with work. Hopefully, the chance to win some nice firearms will make up for it.

Aaron at The Weapon Blog has posted his monthly list of contests involving pistols, rifles, shotguns, ammo, knives, accessories, and even a hog hunt. He and I are trying something different this month. He sent me a formatted file with a list of all the contests for posting. Instead of giving  you an abbreviated list, how about the full list! With links!

Contest list courtesy of The Weapon Blog Handguns

• Wilson Combat Arms Protector
  Deadline: September 17, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  https://www.wishpond.com/lp/916350/
• Kel-Tec PMR-30
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/09/01/enter-to-win-a-pmr-30-from-kel-tec/
• Ruger MKIII Lite and Silencerco Suppressor
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://grabagun.com/giveaway
• Springfield Duel 3
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: August 25, 2015
  http://duel.springfield-armory.com/
• Ruger LC9s
  Deadline: November 1, 2015
  Added to this list: August 11, 2015
  http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Armscor Commemorative 1911
  Deadline: March 31, 2016
  Added to this list: May 7, 2015
  https://us.armscor.com/30yearguns

Rifles

• Ted Nugent Autographed AR-15
  Deadline: September 15, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://action.buckforcolorado.com/nugent-16/
• Remington 7600
  Deadline: September 15, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  https://www.galleryofguns.com/about/GGGEntry.aspx
• Remington 750 Woodsmaster
  Deadline: September 15, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  https://www.galleryofguns.com/about/GGGEntry.aspx
• Keystone Sporting Arms Crickett
  Deadline: September 15, 2015
  Added to this list: July 8, 2015
  http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Blackwood Arms Side Charging AR-15 Upper Receiver
  Deadline: September 18, 2015
  Added to this list: June 19, 2015
  http://www.702shooter.com/product-reviews/blackwood-arms-side-charging-ar-15-upper-receiver/
• DRD Tactical CDR-15 556 Takedown AR-15
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://www.alloutdoor.com/2015/08/31/win-a-cdr-15-556-takedown-ar15-from-drd-tactical/
• Browning X-Bolt
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://pages.rmgo.org/elk-hunt-gw/
• Sig Sauer SIG MCX 16"
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://www.sigsauer.com/TeamSig/Sweepstakes.aspx
• GunProPlus Summer Premium Gun Giveaway
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: July 1, 2015
  http://www.gunproplus.com/the-2015-summer-premium-gun-giveaway/
• Aero Precision Burnt Bronze M5E1
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://aeroprecisionusa.com/ap/monthly-rifle-giveaway/
• NEA-15 14.5" Carbine
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: April 9, 2015
  http://www.contests.gunownersofcanada.ca/buddy-buddy-nea-ar15-giveaway.html
• Mossberg Patriot Night Train III
  Deadline: October 1, 2015
  Added to this list: August 11, 2015
  http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Rock River Arms NSP CAR Carbine
  Deadline: October 18, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  https://www.facebook.com/ontargetmagazine1?sk=app_359014544128821
• DPMS Oracle
  Deadline: October 31, 2015
  Added to this list: April 8, 2015
  http://clarksvillegunsandarchery.com/
• Gorilla Limited Edition AR-15
  Deadline: November 26, 2015
  Added to this list: July 30, 2015
  http://info.gorillaammo.com/gorilla-2015-giveaway
• Blaser R8 Professional S
  Deadline: December 1, 2015
  Added to this list: July 30, 2015
  http://www.boone-crockett.org/fairchasecontest/
• Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM 16
  Deadline: December 31, 2015
  Added to this list: July 14, 2015
  http://www.gunwinner.com/contest/m1a
• NRA Whittington Center Sweepstakes
  Deadline: February 1, 2016
  Added to this list: August 11, 2015
  https://www.nrawc.org/sweepstakes/
• 7.62x39 Piston AR-15 Complete Upper Receiver
  Winner selected when Facebook page achieves 30,000 fans
  Added to this list: June 18, 2015
  https://www.facebook.com/civilianforcearms/photos/a.607566692638774.1073741828.607529449309165/887629597965814/
• Silverback FA Billet Receiver Set
  Winner selected when Facebook page achieves 2,000 fans
  Added to this list: January 7, 2015
  https://www.facebook.com/SilverbackFA/photos/a.468683059888576.1073741827.467519963338219/590955340994680/
• Savage MK II BTV
  Winner selected when group achieves 5,000 members
  Added to this list: January 7, 2015
  https://mewe.com/join/pray_hard_shoot_straight
• CVA Muzzleloader
  Recurring Monthly
  http://www.cva.com/CVA-Contest.php

Shotguns

• Remington 870
  Deadline: December 31, 2015
  Added to this list: August 28, 2015
  https://www.secondamendmentgiveaways.com/

Air Rifles

• None this month

Ammunition

• $5,000 Ammunition Giveaway
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: August 19, 2015
  http://effotset.com/?a=5024&c=26697&s1=
• $1,500 Year Of Ammo Giveaway
  Deadline: December 30, 2015
  Added to this list: February 12, 2015
  http://www.gunownersofcanada.ca/showthread.php?20192-2015-Giveaway-Year-of-Ammo
• 420 Rounds of Federal 5.56mm 62gr SC FMJ
  Winner selected when Facebook page achieves 10,000 fans
  Added to this list: November 18, 2014
  https://www.facebook.com/110401449053847/photos/a.146920315401960.32510.110401449053847/715868778507108/
• 100 Rounds of Ammunition
  Recurring Monthly
  Added to this list: September 5, 2014
  http://www.freedommunitions.com/Monthly-Ammo-Drawing-s/49383.htm

Knives

• Spyderco Native5 Fluted Titanium Plain Edge Folding ClipIt Knife
  Deadline: September 7, 2015
  Added to this list: July 29, 2015
  http://gunwinner.com/contest/spyderco-titanium

Constitution

• Pocket-sized Constitution and Declaration of Independence
  Recurring Monthly
  http://www.nccs.net/us_constitution.html

Gun Rights Organizations

• None this month

Accessories

• Alien Gear Holster
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://www.guntalk.com/site43.php
• Osborn Holsters & Americase
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://www.viralsweep.com/contest/080a9303-22117
• APO Sporter Modular Rifle Chassis
  Deadline: September 30, 2015
  Added to this list: September 2, 2015
  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G2D5W2Y
• Aimpoint ACO Optic
  Deadline: December 31, 2015
  Added to this list: July 31, 2015
  http://www.opticsfreak.com/content/aimpoint-aco
• NRA Sweepstakes
  Deadline: December 31, 2015
  Added to this list: August 28, 2015
  https://www.nra.org/sweepstakes/
• W.A.R 5k Giveaway
  Winner selected when Facebook page achieves 5,000 fans
  Added to this list: April 9, 2015
  https://www.facebook.com/WeaponsAddiction/photos/a.1419821288251446.1073741829.1400186636881578/1612004972366409/
• MO Legal Gun Owners 23K Giveaway
  Winner selected when Facebook page achieves 23,000 fans
  Added to this list: February 18, 2015
  https://www.facebook.com/Molegalgunowners/photos/a.580107512004706.153172.579909078691216/1045751045440348
• MyGunDB, BlueBook of Gun Values subscriptions, GoPro weapon mounts, RAMP magazine holders and more
  Winner selected when Facebook page achieves 250/500/750/1,000/1,250/1,500/1,750/2,200 fans
  Added to this list: April 24, 2014
  https://www.facebook.com/TGGReviews/photos/a.233031816902146.1073741828.232496753622319/236542326551095
• Whitetail Slam Weekly Giveaway
  Recurring Weekly
  Added to this list: January 6, 2014
  http://www.whitetailslam.com/giveaways
• Rusty's Rags Cleaning Cloths
  Recurring Weekly
  Added to this list: February 11, 2015
  http://www.rustysrags.com/retailer_Info.html
• Dead Air Armament #MuzzleBrakeMonday Contest
  Recurring Weekly
  Added to this list: June 9, 2015
  https://www.facebook.com/DeadAirSilencers/photos/a.574740122637686.1073741828.567415350036830/682580115187019/
• Parker Compound Bow
  Recurring Monthly
  Added to this list: February 11, 2015
  http://www.parkerbows.com/giveawaynew.html
• Ory-Gun Holster
  Recurring Monthly
  Added to this list: February 11, 2015
  http://oregunshooters.com/blog/ory-gun-holster-company-monthly-giveaway
• SilencerCo Suppressor and EasyTrust
  Recurring Monthly
  Added to this list: March 17, 2015
  http://www.silencerco.com/fightthenoise/#contest

Raffles

• Double D Armory SST AR-15
  Deadline: September 12, 2015
  Added to this list: August 18, 2015
  https://double-d-armory.com/hope-for-the-warriors-giveaway/
• OEM Precision .308 Rifle
  Deadline: October 7, 2015
  Added to this list: April 8, 2015
  http://www.orionskin.net/#!usf-raffle/c1q1s
• Outdoor Mentors Gun A Week
  Deadline: December 31, 2015
  Added to this list: February 11, 2015
  http://outdoormentors.org/content/2015-gun-week-drawing
• Michigan United Conservation Clubs Gun-A-Month Sweepstakes
  Deadline: January 31, 2016
  Added to this list: October 6, 2014
  https://mucc.org/product/gun-month-sweepstakes/

Training

• None this month

Hunting

• Armasight Hog Hunt
  Deadline: December 14, 2015
  Added to this list: August 25, 2015
  http://woobox.com/5np43n/frnekj